Bike Bar Ends Review

They’re the long and short of handlebars: Bike bar ends, or handlebar extensions, attach to a bicycle’s handlebars. They come in different sizes and shapes, and different cyclists rely on them for everything from speed to safety. Shimano bar ends are qualty bar ends that can meet most cyclist's needs. 

Triathletes use bike bar ends known as aero bars gain aerodynamic positions that can help them pick up the pace. Mountain bikers are said to more easily take on uphill battles with the help of bike bar ends known as climbing horns. And BMX riders reportedly use bike bar ends as a means of protecting their handlebars from damage and their bodies from handlebar injuries.

Bike bar ends, like a SRAM bar end, in some circumstances have been credited with allowing riders to shift more weight toward the front of the bike and with providing the hands a steadier, more unwavering hold on the handlebar. The physical advantages of bike bar ends reportedly include allowing for hand positions that reduce the risk of carpal tunnel syndrome and protecting the pinky finger from potential obstacles, such as trailside trees. Campagnola bar ends provide this extra physical advantage.

From the standpoint of the bike steering components and accessories can reportedly help preserve brake levers and keep the speedometer from accidentally dismantling when a bike is turned upside down for maintenance and repairs. Brake and gear levers can reportedly also be mounted to bike bar ends. And while bike bar ends might protect the little finger, riders traversing certain terrains might be concerned about trees and shrubs catching on the bike bar ends themselves, causing the rider to eject.

Cyclists interested in adding bike bar ends to their handlebars might also consider that these extensions come in different lengths, circumferences, shapes and bends. There are bar bends with straight bends, L bends, S bends, moustache-shaped bends and ski bends where hand grips extend upward. Bike bar ends can be made of carbon, aluminum, steel, magnesium or a blend of metals known as alloys—and they can be manufactured in different ways.

Many bike bar ends are reportedly made with pieces fastened together through a strong, secure welding process that uses a seal of the same metals with which the pieces are made. Still others might be forged or joined with an epoxy adhesive. Bike bar ends these days also come in what’s been referred to as low profile designs, where slender tubes at the clamping point and smaller clamps to accommodate them allow for a less weighty bar end and more room for the hands.

Some bike bar ends boast ergonomic designs intended to help prevent painful tendonitis that results when tissues joining the muscles and bones become inflamed. Cyclists can also find bike bar ends enveloped in sleeves designed to absorb shock and reduce hand fatigue. Aero bars designed for racers are typically equipped with padded rests for the arms. There are also bike bar ends boasting accessories, such as mirrors.

Bike bar ends, like an Origin8 bar end,  can reportedly be attached to handlebars with cast aluminum clamps and steel bolts. They might alternately be attached by threading a piece of metal inside the handlebar so that, once inside the handlebar, that metal expands. In instances where threaded bike bar ends are larger in diameter than the handlebar, an aluminum tube that slides over the handlebar can reportedly be used to fill in gaps. Bike bar ends also come either with tubing and end plugs, or rubber hoods, or boots, designed to prevent dirt from entering handlebars.

Models

Average Pricing

The prices for bike bar ends can start at about $14 US and climb to more $700 US.